The Feelers Gig @ Paraoa Brewing 6th August

[The Scarecrow]

I can’t remember any issues with James or the other lads

Yes James is known for liking the drink.

As far as I can recall a lot of Feelers grief was:
- the music is rubbish
- every station is playing Venus
- the Feelers got ahead by self-financial (rich parents)
- they supported National
- that RWC cover song

Now as standalone issues that’s manageable but all 5 together is a hard draw for credibility in the NZ Music scene

Anyone remember www.nzmusic.com

To be fair, at least 4 of those points get scored against most North Shore AKL bands of the last 20 years

Nah, you just had to be Takapuna Grammar alunmi to get anywhere. Playing in an indie band that did gigs around the early 00's era of the Checks/Electric Confectionaires/Gin Wigmore/early Lorde that was based on the shore, it was the first question we got asked

[jimi]

arent they a christchurch band?

I reckon Supersystem was an album that broke a glass ceiling for Kiwi bands at the time. It definitely gave me more of a belief that indie kiwi bands could get radio play on mainstream stations. You had a bit of a golden era of kiwi bands that followed them too. I reckon Channel Z gave those bands a great platform. Shihad were smashing it with the general electric at the same time.

They had an afternoon slot on the main stage at the big day out, either 98 or 99 and he came off as a bit of a twat.

[robthemac]

I can’t remember any issues with James or the other lads

Yes James is known for liking the drink.

As far as I can recall a lot of Feelers grief was:
- the music is rubbish
- every station is playing Venus
- the Feelers got ahead by self-financial (rich parents)
- they supported National
- that RWC cover song

Now as standalone issues that’s manageable but all 5 together is a hard draw for credibility in the NZ Music scene

Anyone remember www.nzmusic.com

To be fair, at least 4 of those points get scored against most North Shore AKL bands of the last 20 years

Nah, you just had to be Takapuna Grammar alunmi to get anywhere. Playing in an indie band that did gigs around the early 00's era of the Checks/Electric Confectionaires/Gin Wigmore/early Lorde that was based on the shore, it was the first question we got asked

Being TGS alumni didn't get me shit.

[hercules]

arent they a christchurch band?

I reckon Supersystem was an album that broke a glass ceiling for Kiwi bands at the time. It definitely gave me more of a belief that indie kiwi bands could get radio play on mainstream stations. You had a bit of a golden era of kiwi bands that followed them too. I reckon Channel Z gave those bands a great platform. Shihad were smashing it with the general electric at the same time.

They had an afternoon slot on the main stage at the big day out, either 98 or 99 and he came off as a bit of a twat.

Yeah I was just being silly really. From my foggy memory there was a real surge of rich-kid bands getting NZOnAir funding and NZMM support around the same time as the feelers' peak...many from the same high schools (as per Scarecrow's comments).

I saw the feelers live a couple of times (even the Titirangi Library, I think?!) and they had great tones and live sound. Pretty great drumming from memory, too.

Plenty of good musicians are dicks though.

[The Scarecrow]

To be fair, at least 4 of those points get scored against most North Shore AKL bands of the last 20 years

Nah, you just had to be Takapuna Grammar alunmi to get anywhere. Playing in an indie band that did gigs around the early 00's era of the Checks/Electric Confectionaires/Gin Wigmore/early Lorde that was based on the shore, it was the first question we got asked

Being TGS alumni didn't get me shit.

From what I gather, there was a bit of an elitist subculture there that was mostly due to affluential families in the area. Times have changed... i grew up around that in the early 80's and it was a different town.

[The Scarecrow]

arent they a christchurch band?

I reckon Supersystem was an album that broke a glass ceiling for Kiwi bands at the time. It definitely gave me more of a belief that indie kiwi bands could get radio play on mainstream stations. You had a bit of a golden era of kiwi bands that followed them too. I reckon Channel Z gave those bands a great platform. Shihad were smashing it with the general electric at the same time.

They had an afternoon slot on the main stage at the big day out, either 98 or 99 and he came off as a bit of a twat.

Channel Z... that was a glorious launchpad for so many good bands I knew of back then. For the 7 years of it's lifespan (1997-2004, when it became Kiwi FM) it was the only station I tuned to 95% of the time.

I remember that BDO... it was 1999 as BDO didn't happen in 1998 for some reason IIRC. Same year as Marilyn Manson. They were on the main stage and I concur with your observation on twatiness.... was a couple of years before my run-in with him but kind of set the tone.

[jhyang549]

arent they a christchurch band?

I reckon Supersystem was an album that broke a glass ceiling for Kiwi bands at the time. It definitely gave me more of a belief that indie kiwi bands could get radio play on mainstream stations. You had a bit of a golden era of kiwi bands that followed them too. I reckon Channel Z gave those bands a great platform. Shihad were smashing it with the general electric at the same time.

They had an afternoon slot on the main stage at the big day out, either 98 or 99 and he came off as a bit of a twat.

Yeah I was just being silly really. From my foggy memory there was a real surge of rich-kid bands getting NZOnAir funding and NZMM support around the same time as the feelers' peak...many from the same high schools (as per Scarecrow's comments).

I saw the feelers live a couple of times (even the Titirangi Library, I think?!) and they had great tones and live sound. Pretty great drumming from memory, too.

Plenty of good musicians are dicks though.

Gosh, don't get me started on Rubicon. The frontman Paul Reid is an absolute shit bag who now flips properties for a living. He also somehow got a 10k grant from NZonAir last year as well to produce a shitty music video for his shitty band.

[The Scarecrow]

arent they a christchurch band?

I reckon Supersystem was an album that broke a glass ceiling for Kiwi bands at the time. It definitely gave me more of a belief that indie kiwi bands could get radio play on mainstream stations. You had a bit of a golden era of kiwi bands that followed them too. I reckon Channel Z gave those bands a great platform. Shihad were smashing it with the general electric at the same time.

They had an afternoon slot on the main stage at the big day out, either 98 or 99 and he came off as a bit of a twat.

Yeah I was just being silly really. From my foggy memory there was a real surge of rich-kid bands getting NZOnAir funding and NZMM support around the same time as the feelers' peak...many from the same high schools (as per Scarecrow's comments).

I saw the feelers live a couple of times (even the Titirangi Library, I think?!) and they had great tones and live sound. Pretty great drumming from memory, too.

Plenty of good musicians are dicks though.

Gosh, don't get me started on Rubicon. The frontman Paul Reid is an absolute shit bag who now flips properties for a living. He also somehow got a 10k grant from NZonAir last year as well to produce a shitty music video for his shitty band.

I went to school with the other two guys in Rubicon Gene and Jon. Gene is a well know luthier (G-Spot), I remember him building a Jagstang or similar in tech class around 1995, pretty talented guy in that aspect. Didn't know Jon well enough to form an opinion. I kind of saw Rubicon as a bit of jokey/fun time band, maybe not as serious as contemporaries at the time. Lumped them in with stuff like goodshirt, voom etc, but not as appealing to me personally.

I gather Paul got his start from his time on Shortland St about 15 years ago? Having dated another ex SS actor a while back who was on the show in the same era, I know they did well financially back then. I don't know him personally, but I can't say if I was in his position I'd do much different in regards to property investment... he maybe comes across a bit ruthless in the media though. I did briefly deal with him years ago about potentially him drumming in a band and I found him personable on email. I know he's got a band these day, but I have no reading on it up or down, it clearly hasn't been interesting enough to draw my ire or admiration either way.

I do find it interesting that the NZOA grants all seem to go to established artists these days... I was in an indie pop band that was virtually unknown in 2008 and we got that year, it seemed at the time the grants were more aimed at upcoming acts, but I know the criteria has changed a lot now to do with social media etc. Back then, you just had to have a good song..

[foal30]

I think Goodshirt were quite talented. Some nice tunes. I never saw them live

One of them did some solo stuff I liked to sort of indie-folk.

[smallface]

Goodshirt metamorphed from an Irish band that used to play at Murphys underneath the Civic Tavern in the city. They had a lot of people at those gigs. 4 of the band decided to focus on their own stuff and that was that.

[jhyang549]

I've got nothing but good personal experiences with Goodshirt's frontman Rodney Fisher. Bonafide GC. I think he had some kind of residency with Portland Public House in Kingsland (I don't know whether he still has that)? I did some gig photography for him back in Portland Public House 2014 NYE Party. His partner, Hayley (at the time? I hope they are still together), did a set as Dead Little Penny. And he played guitar in the opening set. Really nice show.

Here's Rodney Fisher dressed in drag at the time.

[smallface]

I've got nothing but good personal experiences with Goodshirt's frontman Rodney Fisher. Bonafide GC. I think he had some kind of residency with Portland Public House in Kingsland (I don't know whether he still has that)? I did some gig photography for him back in Portland Public House 2014 NYE Party. His partner, Hayley (at the time? I hope they are still together), did a set as Dead Little Penny. And he played guitar in the opening set. Really nice show.

Here's Rodney Fisher dressed in drag at the time.

Ha ha, yes Rod loves his dresses. I think there's a few photos of him in the Trouser Weasels (pre Goodshirt) wearing all manners of frocks. I'm sure I have a couple somewhere, but probably best left unpublished

Yes, Hayley & Rod are still together and have a small family.

[Bg]

I remember Paul Reid having a whinge about the whammy bar (who he is the landlord of) asking for vaccine passports....

"This used to be a cool punk rock dive bar," he wrote. "You know punk anti-establishment cool kinda vibe.. now there's Nothing more punk rock than 'can I scan your vaccine pass please' lol."

Yeah check your credibility at the door you fucking property developer, very punk rock...

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zeal ... asses.html

[jeremyb]

Dunno if you can call it drag with a beard like that lol

[foal30]

Dunno if you can call it drag with a beard like that lol

I thought it was Dangermouse